The Porsche 911 went on sale in the 1965 model year as a simple, yet sporty, car that featured a 148-horsepower 2.0-liter engine and a slow-by-today's-standard 9-second 0-to-60 time. Heading into the 2013 model year, the Porsche 911 is far and away one of the most modern sports cars available today. It is now capable of screaming to 60 mph in time less than half of its debut model year and handles like it's riding on rails.

Introduction

The 2013 model year 911 starts off with its entry level Carrera Coupe trim level, which is not nearly what most buyers would expect of an entry-level car. This base model screams to 60 mph in 4.6 or 4.4 seconds, depending if it has a PDK or manual transmission, respectively. The 2013 911 Carrera Cabriolet which hits 60 mph in 4.8 seconds with a manual transmission or 4.6 seconds with the PDK transmission.

The next step up is the Carrera S Coupe, which adds a little more zest to the base model, giving it a 4.1- or 4.3-second sprint to 60 mph with the PDK or manual transmission, respectively. The Carrera S Cabriolet trim loses a little ground, hitting 60 mph in 4.3 seconds with the PDK transmission and 4.5 second with a manual transmission. Moving up to the Turbo Coupe trim level nets the 911 significant performance boosts and allows it to hit 60 mph in 3.4 seconds with the PDK transmission or 3.5 seconds with a manual transmission. The 911 Turbo Cabriolet adds a drop top, which drops its 0-to-60 time to 3.6 seconds and 3.5 seconds with the manual and PDK transmissions, respectively. Stepping up to the Turbo S Coupe model squeezes a few extra ponies from the engine and shaves 0.3 seconds off of the 911 Turbo’s best 60 mph-sprint time. The Turbo S Cabriolet adds a convertible top to the already powerful Turbo S model, which drops its acceleration time to 3.2 seconds to 60 mph.

The 2013 911 has a huge number of competitors, thus the reason Porsche focuses so hard on being the best that it can be. One competitor that can give the 911 a run for its money is the Audi TT RS, which hits 60 mph in just 4.1 seconds, and speaking of money, it comes in at a relatively low $57,200 MSRP. The 2013 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 is another competitor that comes in a little lighter in the wallet at $75,600, yet keeps pace with the 911 with its 3.6-second run to 60 mph. The 2013 Nissan GT-R gets Japan in on the fun of competing against the 911 with its $96,820 buy in and 3.1-second run to 60 mph.

The 2013 911 has plenty of competition to fend off, but with its storied history and ingenious engineering, it is always up to the task.

Which Style To Buy?

2013 Porsche 911 Carrera

The base 911 Carrera comes with a 3.4-liter, horizontally opposed six-cylinder engine that pumps out 350 horsepower and 287 foot-pounds of torque, which mounts to a standard seven-speed manual transmission or an optional seven-speed dual-clutch PDK transmission. An auto start and stop system helps conserve fuel by shutting the engine off when it is idling for extended times. The Carrera comes standard with a nice selection of features. It comes with 8.5-by-19-inch front rims wrapped in 235/40ZR19 and 11-by-19-inch rear rims with 285/35ZR19 tires to keep it glued to the road. A two-zone automatic climate control system helps keep the driver and passenger equally comfortable. Standard green-tinted glass helps keep the sun’s harmful UV rays out of the interior. An integrated garage door opener allows you to program your garage door opener code to the 911 for easier entry to your garage. Porsche Communication Management with navigation and 7-inch color screen gives you turn-by-turn directions to your destination, stores your travel information in a log book and can also store MP3s and other files on its internal hard drive. A nine-speaker sound system with 235 watts keeps the 911’s riders entertained, if the joy of riding in a Porsche simply isn’t enough. Four-piston calipers biting on four 330 mm ventilated and cross-drilled rotors bring the 911 Carrera to a halt.

2013 Porsche 911 Carrera S

Recommended for: Buyers looking for a little more performance without breaking the bank

The 911 Carrera S adds in a 3.8-liter, horizontally opposed six-cylinder engine mated to a standard seven-speed manual or an optional seven speed PDK transmission. The 911 Carrera S puts down a total of 400 horsepower and 325 foot-pounds of torque through the rear wheels. The rear brakes are carryovers from the Carrera, but the Carrera S comes with 340 mm front rotors gripped by six-piston aluminum calipers. On the corners Porsche added rims that were 1-inch larger in diameter than the Carrera with 245/35ZR20 wrapped around the front rims and295/30ZR20 tires wrapped around the rear rims. Also added into the mix on the Carrera S is Porsche Active Suspension Management, which constantly monitors and adjusts the 911’s suspension to match the conditions and the mode selected – “Sport” or “Normal.” In addition to adjusting the suspension to compensate, PASM also lowers the 911’s suspension by 0.39 inches.

2013 Porsche 911 Turbo

Recommended for: Buyers that want to compete with Ferrari and Lamborghinis without the $200K price tag

The 911 Turbo Coupe adds a turbocharger to the 3.8-liter, six-cylinder engine mated to a standard six-speed manual transmission or an option PDK transmission. This engine bumps the horsepower to 500 and the torque to 480 foot-pounds. The standard rims on the Turbo model are 8.5-by-19-inch Turbo II forged alloys on the front and 11-by-19-inch Turbo II forged alloys on the rear. This change in rims also changes the tire sizes to 235/35ZR19 on the front and 305/30ZR19 on the rear. In terms of gadgets on the inside, the 911 Turbo comes with Porsche Communication Management with a 6.5-inch color touchscreen and navigation. It also replaces the base radio with the upgraded Bose surround sound system, which includes 13 speakers and 385 watts of power. The Turbo model distinguishes itself from the outside, via the wide-body look on the rear end.

2013 Porsche 911 Turbo S

Recommended for: Buyers that want the best the 911 has to offer without jumping to a limited-production model

The Turbo S Coupe model takes the 3.8-liter engine and brings it up to 530 horsepower and 516 foot-pounds of torque, then mates it to the PDK transmission standard. At the corners the 911 Turbo S gets the same size rims and tires as the Turbo model, but the Turbo S gets the RS Spyder rims as a standard feature. The wide-body kit from the Turbo model carries into the Turbo S model too. Also included is Porsche’s Sport Chrono package, which features a “Sport” mode and launch control for better acceleration, as well as better its handling characteristics. Also increasing the 911 Turbo S’ handling ability is the Porsche Carbon Composite Brake system, which adds 380 mm carbon-fiber composite rotors to the front and 340 mm carbon-fiber composite rotors to the rear. This not only improves braking, but also lowers the vehicle’s unsprung weight, allowing it to handle better. Inside the 911 Turbo S there is the same gadgets and gizmos, but the Turbo S adds in a six-disc CD and DVD changer.

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